Current building methods are labor intensive, requiring on-site management of different kinds of contractors as well as facilitation of necessary building supplies. Project managers must coordinate with dozens of different skilled and unskilled tradesmen, while at the same time ensuring the proper building materials are available at any given jobsite at the correct time. Oftentimes certain contractors cannot meet the scheduled time slot and/or building supplies are either not delivered or are delivered in the incorrect form. As a result, on-site construction often suffers schedule delays plagued by cost overruns.
Even if everything goes according to plan, current on-site building methods are labor intensive. For example, in a typical residential build, first the foundation is laid by the foundation contractors. Then the framing and roofing contractors control the jobsite for several weeks. After that, different contractors build the exterior shell of the building. Then come the electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors. The insulator and sheet rock contractors follow. Then the electricians, plumbers, and HVAC contractors return to the job site to finish out their work. The work done by each trade must be inspected by inspectors on-site, leading to hold points and additional delays.
For at least these reasons, some on-site builders have turned to prefabricated construction techniques for portions of a building. For example, prefabricated deck trusses are often used in residential construction. Certain prefabricated building systems generally involve constructing portions of a building at a factory and shipping the fabricated piece to the jobsite.
A consistent problem with prefabricated building systems is weight. On the one hand, prefabricated pieces, in order to maintain structural integrity and load bearing capabilities, take on unnecessary shipping weight. On the other hand, to reduce weight for shipping, many prefabricated construction elements lack load bearing capabilities. Another problem with prefabricated building systems is shipping volume, where the maximum dimensions of a given room may be dictated by existing truck size. A need exists for a prefabricated system that incorporates both high structural integrity and lower shipping and assembly costs, as well as provides spacious room and building dimensions.